Ipswich: Dave Hearn on appearing in The Time Machine

Since forming at drama school, the company has won multiple awards, taken several productions to Broadway, and fronted its own BBC comedy series.

Not bad for a group who started out gigging to tiny audiences on the fringe.  

But now, Hearn is branching out on his own to star in a new comedy based on H.G. Wells’s classic The Time Machine. “I’ve been wanting to take a mini break from Mischief for a while,” he says, “and this felt like the right moment to step away.” 

It isn’t too big a leap, however.

Dave Hearn, in The Time Machine, which comes to Ipswich at the end of February. Picture: Michael Wharley (Image: Michael Wharley)

In fact the central conceit of The Time Machine – which sees a theatre troupe attempt to stage a production of the great sci-fi novel only to find events spiral out of control – sounds just like the sort of thing Mischief might come up with. 

“In some ways it is similar,” agrees Hearn, “though I’d say it’s less reliant on big set pieces and more focussed on the relationships between the characters. I think it’s possibly more intellectually challenging, in the nicest way!”

He adds that he was immediately impressed with the script, by Steven Canny and John Nicholson, who “have done a brilliant job” with the adaptation. 

Hearn’s character, aptly called Dave, is Wells’s great-great grandson. In the play, he makes a significant discovery that has the potential to alter not just the fate of the drama company, but much more besides.

“He’s quite assured of his own writing gifts, and really wants to prove himself in this regard, even when it’s not appropriate,” says Hearn with a smile. “I quite respect him for that.” 

The New Wolsey Theatre. (Image: New Wolsey Theatre)

He’s joined in the cast of Orla O’Loughlin’s production by Michael Dylan and Amy Revelle. Hearn reveals he originally auditioned for Dylan’s role, but quickly realised he wasn’t right.

It therefore came as a relief when producers Original Theatre, whose acclaimed productions include Agatha Christie's The Mirror Crack'd and Alan Bennett’s The Habit of Art, invited him to read for Dave. “Everything just fell into place,” he says. 

When it comes to acting, Hearn is a self-described late bloomer. A shy child, he decided to take GCSE drama in a bid to gain confidence.

It worked, and he came away with both an A* and the acting bug. After a spell doing manual jobs, he took a BTEC in performing arts at Harlow College. Then, “somewhat arrogantly” he now concedes, he assumed drama school would be the next step. 

But his family had to make sacrifices to make it happen. When he won a place on the foundation course at LAMDA, they sold their house and car to fund his fees.

Hearn says it’s only now, in his mid-30s, that he is beginning to understand what a big deal this was.

“I don’t think I really appreciated what they were doing, and how lucky I was. Maybe that’s for the best though, because I don’t know if I would’ve taken some of the decisions I did if I’d felt all of that pressure.” 

One of those decisions was accepting an invite from an industrious fellow student called Henry Lewis to join an improv comedy group.

Mischief Theatre was born, and together they started gigging at London fringe venues like the Hen and Chickens and Canal Cafe.  

Hearn kept going with the group, even when he moved to another drama school, Rose Bruford.

“I was the only one in my year who was out every week performing in front of a paying audience, and that was such valuable experience.” But big success didn’t come immediately.

It was only when they decided to stage a Christmas show at the Old Red Lion in 2012, titled The Murder Before Christmas, that things began to change. 

It went well, and as luck would have it a slot came up at the same venue a few weeks after the run had finished, so the artistic director invited them back.

They returned with The Play That Goes Wrong, about a hapless amateur production of a murder mystery.

It transferred to the West End’s Trafalgar Studios, where it was seen by producers Mark Bentley and Kenny Wax.

“At the time we didn’t know what we had – it was an incremental success,” recalls Hearn. “Mark and Kenny were probably the only ones who could see what it would become.” 

When they won the Olivier Award for Best Comedy a couple of years later, Hearn says it came as a surprise.

“We didn’t really know what to do, it just seemed too good to be true. I remember hearing the entire theatre erupt, and it was such a weird feeling.

Then going to the after-party holding an Olivier Award, it didn’t feel real. It was like a fairytale.” 

On his decision to step away from Mischief, at least for a short time, he says it was partly because he could feel the “beginnings of resentment” setting in.

“I felt like I had to be loyal to the company – nobody put that on me, that was all from me.”

He adds that he is enjoying being in the rehearsal room with new people and, after so many years of collaboration, being a pure performer again.

“I love being told where to stand. Point, shoot, and I’ll be funny.”  

He is also relishing getting to grips with the script, which he says is a “great introduction” to The Time Machine.

The book, which first appeared in 1895, continues to exert huge influence on modern science fiction. It centres on a Victorian inventor who builds a machine capable of transporting him far into the future. 

Where in time would Hearn like to travel, if such things really were possible?

“I’d love to go to the future, and see what cool gadgets they have,” he says. “Or maybe I could go to the year 3,000, and see if Busted were right.”  

More immediately, plans on the horizon include a new collaboration with Mischief after they return from their latest stint on Broadway, and the continuation of their podcast series Hell or High Rollers.

And beyond that, he’d love to explore some more new projects.

As he starts to spread his acting wings, it will be very interesting to see where this highly engaging performer will land next. 

The Time Machine will run at The Wolsey Theatre from February 23 to March 4.